Agenda is set for first session of new Kurdistan parliament

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The agenda for the first session of the newly elected Kurdistan Parliament has been set, an official told Rudaw on Saturday.

“All preparations for the first session of the sixth term of the Kurdistan Parliament have been completed, and a committee has been formed to welcome the new members of parliament,” Saman Ahmad, head of the parliament’s media office, told Rudaw. 

The session will be held on Monday, December 2, at 11:00 am, and will be open to the media.

It will begin with a recitation from the Quran and a moment of silence to honor the martyrs of Kurdistan.

The eldest member of parliament will be asked to preside over the session and to invite lawmakers to take the oath of office, in accordance with the provisions outlined in the parliamentary rules.

The eldest member of parliament will also preside over nominations and vote by secret ballot for the posts of parliament speaker, deputy speaker, and secretary. At least one of these three positions in the parliament’s presidency board must be filled by a woman.

The October 20 vote resulted in a consolidation of power for the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which won 39 seats, followed by its government ally but political rival the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 32 seats. The opposition New Generation Movement took third place with 15 seats. 

Opposition parties Komal, the Kurdistan Islamic Union, Baray Gal, and Halwest have denounced the election results. They alleged fraud and voter manipulation and questioned the reliability of the voting machines.